Out in the garden where we planted the seeds
There is a tree as old as me
Branches were sewn by the color of green
Ground had arose and passed its knees
By the cracks of the skin I climbed to the top
I climbed the tree to see the world
When the gusts came around to blow me down
Held on as tightly as you held onto me
Held on as tightly as you held onto me...
And I built a home for you, for me
Chapter Thirty-One
"And that is the story of Attila the Hun!"
Mycroft and Sherlock leaned against the door, trying to keep the ruthless ruler from barging in. The Doctor cheerfully hit a button on the console and they were off.
Mycroft sighed with relief before saying, "Nice lesson, Doctor."
"Yeah," Sherlock cried, "That was fun!"
The Doctor smiled and teased, "More fun than primary school?"
"Absolutely!" Sherlock enthusiastically said, "I never want to go back to that place."
"Oh, come on," Mycroft muttered, "It wasn't that bad."
"Yes, it was," Sherlock insisted, "Nothing good came from going to that school."
The Doctor looked thoughtful as he said, "There must have been some moments that were fun! Were there any parties or festivals?"
"Nope," Sherlock dully said.
"Well…" Mycroft hesitated.
"No relevant festivals," Sherlock interjected, in a voice that asked for a new topic.
The Doctor arched an eyebrow and repeated, "Relevant festivals?"
A dark shadow crossed Sherlock's face and he muttered, "It's not important, really."
Mycroft squeezed his brother's arm, earning a sharp glare.
The Doctor quietly spoke up, "What festival wasn't relevant?"
"Don't," Mycroft sighed, "Can't we just let this one go?"
"Oh, Mycroft," the Doctor exclaimed, "Of course we can't!"
Sherlock picked up his violin and began to play, refusing to say anything else.
The Doctor sighed and quietly pointed out, "You two know that I'm going to find out sooner or later. So, what's it going to be?"
"Later," Mycroft and Sherlock both chorused.
"Fair enough."
Mycroft picked up a book and began to read. The Doctor folded his hands and calmly waited for the brothers to break out of their introverted shells.
Five minutes passed before Sherlock and Mycroft exchanged wearisome glances.
"Parent's Day," Sherlock finally muttered, rapidly scraping his bow against the strings.
The Doctor cringed, though they couldn't tell if it was from the noise or the exclamation.
"Like I said," Sherlock mumbled, "No relevant festivals."
He then became thoughtful as he added, "Well…they were relevant to Mycroft. At least he got to go to a few."
Mycroft suddenly felt a strange sense of guilt. His mother had taken him to Parent's Day every year until she couldn't. Sherlock had been too young…The Doctor caught his eye and gave him a comforting smile. Sherlock closed his eyes and recommenced playing the violin. The Time Lord looked over and frowned before asking, "There's more to it, isn't there?"
Sherlock sighed and muttered, "Well…some kids in my class thought that it was funny."
The Doctor's frown deepened and he asked, "What did they think was funny?"
Mycroft also arched an eyebrow. Sherlock had never mentioned this before.
"Just…you know," Sherlock mumbled, "How I wasn't able to go to any of them."
"Which kids?" Mycroft demanded.
"Don't," Sherlock sighed, "Mycroft…"
"I just want to know."
"What're you going to do?" Sherlock asked with a coy smile, "Talk to their parents?"
"You're being evasive," Mycroft quietly pointed out.
"You're being overprotective," Sherlock pointed out.
The Doctor chuckled and intervened, "Alright, Sherlock. We won't press you."
In fact, the Doctor quickly dropped the matter. The three cheerfully spent the rest of the night using the heat of a nearby sun to roast marshmallows. When they went to bed, the Doctor tucked Sherlock in and ruffled Mycroft's hair. Everything was perfectly normal.
It wasn't until the next morning that the brothers became suspicious.
Their suspicions began when they heard someone shout, "AVAST! ON YOUR FEET!"
Mycroft opened his eyes and found himself staring at Gus and the rest of the pirates.
"Gus!" Mycroft gasped.
"Captain Mycroft!" Gus boomed.
"Gus!" Sherlock cried, hugging the gruff pirate.
Somebody knocked on the door and John Lennon poked his head in, "You might want to come along. The Doctor is practically jumping around with excitement."
"What?" Mycroft gasped, "John…what…what are you doing here?"
"Aren't you listening, Mycroft?" River asked, gently pushing past the Beatle and entering the bedroom, "We need to go! Quickly! Don't make me blast you!"
"What's going on?" Sherlock cried.
"It's a bit cold outside," Jack cheerfully answered, coming in after River, "Here you go."
He handed the bewildered brothers their peacoats. They pulled them over their pajamas, completely confused and half-asleep. River gently prodded them forward.
Mycroft yawned and Sherlock rubbed his eye, still clinging onto his stuffed bear. They entered the console room and the Doctor exclaimed, "Oh good! You're awake!"
"Yeah," Mycroft cried, "We're awake. What's going on?"
"No time to explain," the Doctor happily cried, "Come along!"
The group went outside. Mycroft blinked and realized that they were standing on the grounds of the school. Several tents and obstacles were set up. A large banner read:
PARENT'S DAY
The brothers glanced at the Doctor for an explanation.
"Well, River and I were talking about it," the Doctor humbly explained, "And we decided that…if you wanted to, that is…we could fill in for…you know…the four of us could…Only if you wanted to. We would completely understand if…"
"It sounds brilliant!" Sherlock interrupted.
"Doctor…thank you…" Mycroft whispered, touched.
The Doctor looked hopeful as he asked, "So, would you want to?"
"Of course we would," Sherlock cried.
The Doctor's face broke into a grin.
"That's good," River said with a smirk, "Because we already signed up. We even talked to that blasted Headmaster of yours. He agreed that he could make an exception and allow you to participate with the two of us filling in as your parents."
"He agreed to that?" Sherlock asked, surprised.
"Sure," River said with a smirk, "You forget, Sherlock; I can be very persuasive."
Sherlock cracked up.
"It sounds great, really," Mycroft spoke up, "But…that still doesn't explain the pirates or the Beatles or…Jack."
Jack grinned and explained, "Well, Piper informed the Doctor that family members were allowed to cheer you on."
"If anyone asks," the Doctor added, "You have a lot of uncles."
"Yeah," Mycroft snorted, "That's a good conversation starter. 'You should meet my uncle! He's John Lennon.'"
The Doctor laughed and exclaimed, "Why not?"
At that moment, Anderson and his mundane family passed by. Anderson snickered and teasingly asked, "You sleep with a teddy bear, Holmes?"
Sherlock flushed but before he could say anything, River smoothly yanked the bear from him and crossly remarked, "Of course he doesn't. I do. Do you have a problem with that?"
Anderson slunk away and Sherlock whispered, "Thanks River."
"Don't mention it," River assured him, pocketing the bear.
Jack, the pirates, and the Beatles cheerfully entered the stands. The Doctor, River, and the brothers walked over to stand with the other families. Piper tapped a microphone and gave a dull speech about how he was honored to have parental involvement within the school.
The first obstacle seemed simple enough: a sack race.
Mycroft, River, and Sherlock smoothly hopped along and were the first to reach the finish line. The brothers triumphantly cheered.
"Sorry," Piper spoke up, "All four of you must be across the line."
The Doctor had fallen on his first hop. For a moment, he had merely remained face-down, as if completely giving up on the universe. He was now flopping around, desperately trying to get to them. The three tried not to laugh as they watched.
"You look like a bloody fish out of water!" Mycroft called.
"Very smooth, Sweetie," River cackled.
"Oh…shut…up," the Doctor laughed, failing around.
By the time he managed to reach them, the Andersons and another family had already managed to cross the line.
"Sorry," the Doctor mumbled, looking crestfallen.
"Who cares?" Sherlock laughed, "That was worth it!"
"It's not about winning," Mycroft pointed out.
"It's about watching you flail around like an idiot!" River finished, laughing.
The Doctor stuck out his tongue and attempted to get out of the sack, falling once more.
They finally went to the next obstacle. A colorful sign read: Water Balloon Throw.
The Doctor paired with Mycroft and River paired with Sherlock.
Mycroft stepped on the taped X and called, "Ready!"
The balloon hit him right in the face, drenching him. The Doctor had thrown the balloon as hard as he could.
"What was that?" Mycroft spluttered, cracking up.
The Doctor looked confused and pointed out, "Well, the sign said to throw it…"
"Back and forth!" Mycroft cried, "Not at each other!"
"Oooh," the Doctor slowly said.
"Oops," River spoke up.
Mycroft glanced over. Sherlock was completely dry. Anderson on the other hand…
Sherlock roared with laughter and Mycroft shook his head.
The four were the winners of the hula-hoop contest. River managed to impress everyone by hula-hooping five at a time. They also won the wheelbarrow contest and came in second in the pie-eating contest. They failed miserably at the jump-rope contest and had to spend five minutes untying the Doctor. Nobody won the Wacky Trikes race, as the Doctor managed to lose control and crash into everyone. Oddly enough, the Time Lord excelled at rapidly creating different towers out of plastic cups. Jack, the pirates, and the Beatles cheered them on. The brothers' stomachs hurt from laughing.
"Only two more obstacles to go!" Mycroft finally gasped, flushed with excitement.
"We're tied for first place!" Sherlock exclaimed, looking at the makeshift scoreboard.
As coincidental fate would have it, they were tied with the Andersons.
"The penultimate challenge is one of our favorites," Piper dully explained, "The families shall be participating in a rousing game of Tug O' War. The last two standing on either side will face our final challenge."
The Doctor stood in front of Mycroft who stood in front of Sherlock who stood in front of an amused River. The Andersons tugged and the Doctor went stumbling forward.
"Gah! Help me, Mycroft!"
He grabbed the startled boy and the two fell into the large mud puddle.
"Why did you grab me?" Mycroft laughed.
"I was hoping that you could help me," the Doctor cried, throwing more mud at him.
"What was I supposed to do?" Mycroft cracked up, "You're a lot stronger than I am!"
The Doctor laughed and admitted, "Alright, maybe it wasn't the best plan!"
He ducked as Mycroft swiped mud at him. The two wrestled around, even after Sherlock and River successfully brought Mrs. Anderson and her daughter into the mud. Both women screeched with horror and quickly leapt out.
"Looks like it's you and me against Anderson and his father," River told Sherlock with a devilish grin, "And we're not going to show any mercy!"
Sherlock grinned at the possibilities.
The two headed over to the stands, accepting bottles of water from Jack.
"Having fun, Sherlock?" Jack asked, smiling at the flush of excitement on the boy's face.
"This is brilliant!" Sherlock eagerly burst out.
Jack laughed and said, "I'm glad."
Sherlock struggled to open his water bottle. Gus tried to be helpful by taking out his sword and stabbing the plastic. Sherlock tried not to grin as he slowly said, "Thanks, Gus…"
"Oh sure," River cried, "I'm not allowed to take out my blaster but the pirate's allowed to take out his sword! Talk about double standards!"
She affectionately ruffled Sherlock's curls and added, "Drink up! A dehydrated troop doesn't do me any good."
"You're making it sound like we're at war!" Sherlock laughed.
"Aren't we?" River jokingly asked.
"Enemy troops approaching our territory," Jack quietly pointed out.
Sure enough, the Andersons were walking by. They hardly paid attention to the dysfunctional group and were instead talking about the prospect of winning.
"We have to win, Father!" Anderson snapped.
"I know, son."
"I'm not about to lose to a sociopathic freak who doesn't even have a real mother!"
Several things happened at once.
The smile slipped away from Sherlock's face and he reeled back, visibly hurt. River looked both shocked and outraged. Her eyes flashed and she clenched her fists, before realizing that Sherlock's lip was trembling. Jack cried out and leapt up. The pirates angrily roared out and the Beatles looked horrified. The Doctor and Mycroft came over, still chuckling over the mud incident. Their smiles immediately vanished as they surveyed the situation.
"Sherlock, what's wrong?" Mycroft asked, startled.
Sherlock didn't answer and instead walked away. Mycroft called his name but he kept marching on, furiously blinking.
The Doctor looked both concerned and confused as he asked, "What happened?"
River was too angry to speak.
Jack stepped forward and solemnly whispered in the Doctor's ear. The Time Lord's eyes widened and he gasped, "He didn't…"
"What?" Mycroft demanded, "What happened?"
The Doctor looked heartbroken as he murmured what Anderson had said. Mycroft's jaw dropped with horror. He then closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.
"He ought to walk the plank!" Gus angrily roared, "The bloody scoundrel!"
Paul and Ringo ducked as the pirate brandished his sword.
"Easy, Gus," Mycroft sighed, opening his eyes.
"Ay, Captain."
"I'll go after Sherlock," the Doctor softly said.
"No," Mycroft quietly disagreed, "I'll go. You might want to talk to River, though."
Mycroft miserably trudged after his brother. The Doctor sadly sighed before glancing at his wife. River was absentmindedly fingering her blaster, looking livid. He and Jack amusedly glanced at each other. The Doctor gently took her hand, carefully pulling it away from the blaster, as he teasingly asked, "Isn't it a bit early for murder, dear?"
River smirked and remarked, "Oh, no. I'd keep him alive. Much more painful."
The Doctor affectionately squeezed her hand and gently said, "Well, I'm sure that Sherlock would appreciate the thought but Piper and the police might not be as understanding."
"That's alright," River briskly said, "I know a good judge."
She glanced at Jack who snickered, "Seriously? I'd let you go to jail in a heartbeat!"
River thought about it for a split second before saying, "Worth it."
Jack grinned and offered, "Let's set the pirates on him."
The Doctor laughed and intervened, "We're at a school function! We can't talk about torturing children."
He then leaned forward and whispered, "But for the record, I would have stood right behind you as you blasted him."
River smiled and affectionately said, "I know. That's why I married you."
She kissed him and Jack chuckled.
The Doctor raised an eyebrow and defensively asked, "What?"
"Nothing, nothing," Jack said with a grin, "It's just...this is literally flirting for the two of you. I feel like I'm invading a moment."
"You are," the Doctor lightheartedly agreed, "But come along! We don't have time for romantic moments—"
"We never do," River interjected with a smile.
"We've got to go after the boys!"
Meanwhile, Sherlock was crestfallenly crossing the garden. He finally came to his favorite spot; the largest and oldest tree that he had ever known. Sherlock sat against one of its massive roots, drawing his knees to his chest. He closed his eyes, listening to the leaves rustle in the wind. For as long as he could remember, he had always gone to the tree. He would sit against it and think, until Mycroft came to take him home.
Sherlock opened his eyes, glancing up at the branches. He swallowed before slowly starting to climb. He slipped and stumbled a few times but he didn't stop. He used the cracks in the trunk as footholds before eventually inching out onto one of the branches. The small boy forced himself to look up, staring out at London. It wasn't a spectacular view but it was enough.
"Sherlock?"
Mycroft had arrived and was now worriedly looking around.
"Mycroft, look," Sherlock proudly called. He felt a strangely giddy. Climbing a tree when you had a fear of heights was the perfect way to get your adrenaline going.
Mycroft glanced up and his jaw dropped. He then calmly asked, "I suppose that you're going to make me come up after you?"
Sherlock merely grinned. Grunting, growling, and groaning, the eldest Holmes brother climbed up after Sherlock. He finally crawled out onto the branch before carefully positioning himself, sitting next to his brother.
"You've never actually climbed the tree before," Mycroft pointed out.
"I know," Sherlock joyfully agreed.
Mycroft waited for a moment before quietly saying, "Jack told us what Anderson said."
Sherlock immediately clammed up. The smile vanished and his eyes glazed over.
"I'm proud of you," Mycroft gently added.
Sherlock looked round and Mycroft continued, "You walked away. You came here, instead of causing a scene. You could have easily punched him."
"Yeah," Sherlock chuckled, "I could have."
"Why didn't you?" Mycroft blurted out.
Sherlock arched an eyebrow, looking amused, and Mycroft hastily continued, "I'm glad that you didn't, of course. But…"
"He's wrong and an idiot," Sherlock simply said, "River had already told me that I wasn't a sociopath and the Doctor has repeatedly told us that we were brilliant."
He then looked thoughtful as he whispered, "And the comment about Mummy… well… you should have seen River and Jack. They were immediately upset. I thought that River was going to blast him and that was the first time that I've ever seen Jack look angry."
"So," Mycroft slowly said, "You were waiting for them to do something?"
"No," Sherlock exasperatedly pressed, "Don't you see, Mycroft? They were upset. It's like when we had to go to that children's home a few weeks ago. They were upset! Because they care about us and so does the Doctor. They all care about us. So…Anderson's comment is irrelevant. Because even…even though Mummy is gone…and Father's…well…Father…we still have the Doctor…we still have River and Jack and the Tardis and…and Anderson's an idiot."
"Yeah," Mycroft agreed with a smile, "He is."
He reached over and put his arm around Sherlock's shoulders. Surprisingly, Sherlock didn't try to shrug away. Instead, the youngest Holmes brother smiled and accepted the embrace.
"Couldn't have said it better myself, Sherlock!"
The Doctor's head suddenly popped up next to them. He grinned and clumsily pulled himself onto the branch, nearly falling off. He finally ended up slipping into a koala-position.
"Are you okay?" Mycroft slowly and amusedly asked.
"Fine, fine," the Doctor exclaimed, "Let me just…there we go!"
He managed to pull himself up, sitting between the brothers with his arms draped around their shoulders. Down below, River snorted and Jack shook his head. The latter smoothly bounded up the tree trunk, landing on the other side of Sherlock.
"Show off," the Doctor muttered.
River merely whirled a grappling hook which landed several inches next to Mycroft. She grappled up, smoothly sitting next to him.
"Show off," the Doctor repeated before beginning to calmly rant, "Trees. I like trees. And just look at this tree. It's the biggest tree in the garden. The oldest tree. It's been around for hundreds of years. Protecting children for hundreds of years…"
"Sweetie," River gently said, "I love you but…why are you ranting about trees?"
"Because," the Doctor simply said, "It's a strong tree. It'll take a lot to blow it down."
River pondered that for a moment before saying, "That's why you use a chainsaw."
The Doctor burst out laughing and muttered, "Thanks, dear."
Mycroft and Sherlock appreciated the metaphor nonetheless.
"Thanks for doing all of this," Mycroft spoke up.
"It means a lot," Sherlock softly agreed.
"You never have to thank us," the Doctor gently reminded them.
"Yeah, we do," Mycroft slowly said, "I mean…I don't think that taking your companions to a Parents Day is part of the Time Lord job description."
The Doctor chuckled and said, "Nah, it's a perk."
"I'm serious," Mycroft pressed, "The three of you are usually out there protecting the universe and fighting anyone who threatens the universe and…well…"
He broke off, not quite sure how to put it.
"What Mycroft is saying," Sherlock spoke up, "Is that it always means a lot whenever you guys…whenever you set aside the entire universe to do something special for us."
Jack smiled at that and teasingly pointed out, "Well, growing up with your father, I can see how that takes you by surprise."
The brothers glanced at each other, confused.
The Doctor gently smiled and summarized, "Family comes before work."
Mycroft suddenly felt quite emotional. Their father couldn't even take time off for their birthdays and the Doctor was putting aside the entire universe to spend time with them. The brothers were more important than the universe. Not in an arrogant way but in a special way.
As Mycroft pondered this, he suddenly realized that he and Sherlock had followed the tradition of the past few companions, save for Donna.
They had fallen in love with the Doctor.
They loved the Time Lord. They loved River and Jack.
And the feeling was mutual.
On the other side of the Doctor, Sherlock was thinking the same thing. He swallowed and hastily wiped his eyes. Jack noticed and worriedly asked, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Sherlock mumbled, his ears pink, "It's just…Anderson's an idiot."
Mycroft couldn't help but to grin at that.
"Do you hear that?" Jack suddenly asked.
The Beatles had come over and were now singing below:
What would you think if I sang out of tune?
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,
And I'll try not to sing out of key.
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends…
"Oh great," Mycroft mumbled, "I'm already emotional enough…"
"Speaking of which," River spoke up, "Sentimental moments are great and all but…do you think that we can get back to the others? The chance to actually beat Anderson's family comes about once or twice in a lifetime!"
Sherlock would have agreed but looking down at the Beatles had reminded him that he was, in fact, in a tree. He swallowed and muttered, "We don't have to go down. Not right away!"
"River's right," Jack cried, "I want to see you two wipe the smirk off of his face."
Sherlock didn't answer and was instead staring down at the ground with a mixture of fear and dread. He made a soft noise and Mycroft sympathetically smiled.
"Sherlock," River brightly asked, "Can I ask you something?"
Sherlock nodded.
"Can you get down?"
Sherlock cheeks reddened but he didn't answer.
"Sherlock?"
He still remained silent and River laughed, "Does he always act this evasive…?"
"Yes," Mycroft, the Doctor, and Jack simultaneously remarked.
Sherlock glared at them before softly admitting, "I can't get down."
The Doctor gently smiled and went to help him.
"Err…Doctor," Sherlock softly said, "No offence but…can River help me, instead?"
The Doctor blinked and defensively cried, "What? Why?"
The Time Lord suddenly slipped and fell. Fortunately, Ringo inadvertently broke his fall.
"That's why," Sherlock weakly cried.
He held onto River as she safely grappled down. Jack and Mycroft slid down after them.
Paul, George, and John helped the Time Lord to his feet.
"All right?" Mycroft worriedly asked.
"Sure, sure," the Doctor exclaimed, "Falling's half the fun."
He paused before exasperatedly closing his eyes. River and Jack both gave him pressing and skeptical looks.
"That one was your fault, Sweetie," River finally muttered.
"And you yell at us for making remarks," Jack groaned.
"Sorry, sorry," the Doctor muttered,.
"Remarks about what?" Sherlock asked, confused.
"Fun," the Doctor cried, leaping to his feet, "And we're going to have it! Come along!"
They hurried back to the others.
"What is the final obstacle, anyway?" Sherlock wondered aloud.
"Paintball," Piper dully remarked.
The group stopped and the Doctor whispered, "You're kidding me…"
"What?" Piper asked.
"Paintball," Sherlock repeated, "Using blasters?"
"Well, yes…" Piper slowly said, "I suppose that they could qualify as blasters. Why?"
The Doctor, Mycroft, Sherlock, and Jack all turned to look at a smirking River. The others took their seats, leaving River and Sherlock to stand next to Anderson and his father.
Piper continued, "Mr. Anderson, Sylvia, Mrs. Song, and Sherlock will enter the corn maze. The last one to avoid being hit wins. There will be a few cameras set up so that your family can watch you. Any questions?"
"I have one," Sherlock spoke up, looking incredibly confused, "Who's Sylvia?"
Anderson stared at him before pointedly raising his hand.
"Your name's Sylvia?" Sherlock snorted.
"Yeah," Anderson slowly said.
"Sylvia!"
"Shut up, Holmes."
River and Sherlock still snickered.
Piper handed them their blasters and continued, "To give everyone a fair chance, we're going to let everyone try their…blasters. As you can see, we have put up several targets."
Sure enough, four bull's-eye targets were sitting several feet away.
"Ladies first," Mr. Anderson said. He and Anderson smirked at one another, as though sharing some sort of secret.
"Ooh," River sweetly said, "That's so nice of you…such a gentleman…let me just…"
She struggled to lift the large blaster and the Andersons snickered.
"So I just press the little trigger?" River continued in a falsely sappy voice, "This little trigger right here? I'm not sure that I can do it…"
BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.
Sherlock roared with laughter as River hit the bulls-eye on every single target.
The Andersons jaws dropped and River calmly said, "Yep, it works just fine."
In the stands, the Doctor, Mycroft, and Jack all cracked up.
"I love your wife," Mycroft jokingly said.
"So do I," the Doctor proudly declared.
Anderson and his father tested their blasters and they put on their safety vests.
"Anything goes," Anderson pointed out with a vile smirk.
"Anything goes," Sherlock and River agreed.
The four headed into the maze at different entrances.
Within minutes, River had found and shot Anderson's father. The man turned red and began spluttering with anger.
"Don't take it personally," River said with a bright smile, "You never had a chance."
Unfortunately, Anderson proved to be cleverer than his father. He managed to manipulate his voice enough to scream, "HELP! RIVER!"
River immediately raced towards the cry of help. By the time she gave it a second thought, it was already too late. Anderson smirked as he managed to blast her in the shoulder.
"No, NO!" Mycroft cried.
"That's the oldest trick in the book!" Jack groaned.
The Doctor sighed, "This is what happens when you stop being a sociopath!"
Piper spoke into the microphone, "Anderson and Sherlock are the last ones left!"
"Anderson verses Sherlock," Jack muttered, "This should be good."
In the maze, Sherlock took a deep breath as he crept along. He heard Piper's remark and was frankly horrified by it. How did River manage to get blasted? She was River! A moment of doubt crossed him as he realized that he might not be able to do this. But he had to.
"Hey, freak."
Sherlock leapt out of the way to avoid a paint pellet, courtesy of Anderson. The boy had snuck behind him and was now smirking.
"I'm not a freak," Sherlock muttered.
"Sociopath. Freak. It's all the same, really."
"I'm not a sociopath," Sherlock growled, "And I'm not a freak!"
Anderson went to shoot him and Sherlock rapidly hit his vortex manipulator.
He appeared behind Anderson and fiercely continued, "My name is Sherlock Timothy Carlton Holmes and I am brilliant!"
He hit his vortex manipulator again; appearing on Anderson's other side. As soon as he landed, he lifted the blaster and shot Anderson in the back. In the stands, the Doctor, Mycroft, River, Jack, the pirates, and the Beatles burst into wild applause.
Anderson's jaw dropped and Sherlock smugly said, "Anything goes."
The Doctor pumped his fist and screamed, "YES, YES, YES!"
"HE DID IT!" River shouted.
"WAY TO GO, SHERLOCK!" Mycroft bellowed.
The group raced down to meet the elated boy as he exited the maze. The Doctor pulled him into a tight hug.
"Nice shot!" River cried.
"That was amazing!" Jack boomed.
The pirates all sang, "For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow…"
The Beatles thumped the youngest Holmes brother on the back and chorused:
"Well done!"
"Excellent!"
"Impressive!"
"Bloody brilliant!"
"Nice job," Mycroft cried, ruffling his brother's hair.
Sherlock grinned from ear to ear as the Doctor lifted him up onto his shoulders.
Anderson emerged from the maze and glared at them.
"Well done, Mr. Holmes," Piper said, coming over.
He handed Sherlock a beautiful trophy and the boy proudly held it up.
"That's it, I'm afraid," Piper apologetically explained, "There was going to be a band but they cancelled at the last minute."
"Oh, that's alright," the Doctor cheerfully said, "We have our own band."
He glanced at John who happily exclaimed, "No problem, Doctor."
"Your uncles are Beatles impersonators?" Piper asked, looking impressed.
"Yes…" Mycroft slowly said, "That's…exactly what they are."
"Do they sound like them?"
"A bit," Sherlock replied, trying not to smirk.
"Well…" Piper hesitated, "I suppose…"
The group was already heading towards the stage. Within minutes, the Beatles were enthusiastically performing. Sherlock leapt down from the Doctor's shoulders as the Time Lord grabbed the microphone from John and enthusiastically sang:
Well shake it up baby, now
The Beatles backed him up:
(Shake it up baby)
Twist and shout (Twist and shout)
C'mon c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, baby, now (Come on baby)
Come on and work it on out (Work it on out)
Sherlock and Mycroft cracked up, happily dancing with River and Jack. The pirates also danced around as the Doctor vigorously sang:
Well, work it on oouuut (Work it on out)
You know you look so good (Look so good)
You know you got me goin', now (Got me goin')
Just like I knew you would (Like I knew you would)
By the time the song reached the instrumental, the Andersons had sullenly come over.
Sherlock spotted the Tardis nearby and suddenly had an idea.
"Hey Doctor," Sherlock said with a smirk, "Can we…?"
"No," the Doctor flatly said.
"Come on, Sweetie," River sweetly said.
"It'll be the icing on the cake," Jack cried.
The Doctor hesitated and Mycroft asked, "Please, Doctor."
"Pleeeeeease?" Sherlock begged.
"Oh, alright," the Doctor lightheartedly said.
Sherlock smirked and cried, "Hey, Sylvia! Check this out!"
He snapped his fingers and the Tardis doors swung open. They cracked up at the horrified look on Anderson's face.
"I love doing that," Sherlock admitted.
The Doctor grinned and said, "What do you say to going to that planet with the mountains of ice-cream after this? And then we can get back to protecting the universe. That's one good thing about our job. Every day is 'bring your children to work' day!"
Sherlock and Mycroft laughed at that.
John Lennon gave a cue and the Time Lord enthusiastically sang:
Weeeeeeell, shake it up, baby, now (Shake it up, baby)
Twist and shout (Twist and shout)
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, baby, now (Come on baby)
Come on and work it on out (Work it on out)